Within Reach
by ScarletRedfox
Summary: Marinette didn't really know how she got into this very strange, yet very familiar situation. All she really knew was she had taken both of their hands, they had even said similar things before. The difference was her feelings. Marichat/Lukanette
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello everyone! Some may know me from my other Marichat / Lukanette work, this time it's a combo (ultimately, the outcome will remain ambiguous until the end). Anyway, hope you enjoy! :)

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous Ladybug!_**

* * *

"Here, take my hand," he smiled, a smile she wasn't sure she could resist, "I promise, I won't let you fall,"

Her eyes widened and she felt something stir within her chest as she grasped his hand, words she remembered hearing before echoed now by Luka.

 _"_ _I won't let you fall, princess,"_ Chat Noir's hand grabbed her own in a silent display of comfort, his smile reassuring as she felt his hand grip her own tighter. His face illuminated by the moon as he held her securely against his body before he made a high leap across a rooftop for the candlelit surprise, a surprise meant for Ladybug.

Marinette stared back up at Luka, silently convincing herself as she grabbed his hand, _Luka's_ hand, _"I trust you, minou,"_

She didn't dare look back in fear of Luka noticing, instead she allowed herself to be led on his ship, the akumatized boat appearing more menacing than before, shades of cool blue, white and black covering it. She prayed Chat Noir had a plan, a plan to not only get her out of this mess but give her enough time to escape to transform and purify the akuma before he noticed she was missing.

The moment Luka briefly turned his back to light the candles on the fancy dinner table, their lavish dinner all set, Marinette turned her head to look at the nearest rooftop, " _Chat Noir…"_

* * *

Standing atop the roof with the boat in clear view, Chat Noir spun his baton and slammed it to the ground, his ears set straight and his gaze fixed upon the two figures on the ship.

His eyes narrowed menacingly.

 **More?**


	2. A Match Well Met

**A/N:** Thank you everyone for the kind reviews! I hope this chapter isn't too bad. :3

 **A Match Well Met**

The setting was almost the same, but there was one difference.

Luka.

Marinette stared worriedly at her plate, it smelled delicious, but with the situation at hand her appetite was definitely gone. It seemed like Luka noticed it too, ever the perceptible guy he was, "You won't eat?" he frowned, the dark mask covering his face was foreign, it didn't look like the sweet boy she met.

The fact that Hawkmoth, for whatever reason, made him appear to look like a snake-themed akuma, it reminded her eerily of the snake Miraculous she had spotted in the box at Master Fu's, but it definitely didn't feel the same. It didn't offer her the same comfort and sense of security like the Miraculous did, instead, even if it _was_ Luka, she felt alarmed, frightened even.

Luka's outfit was a dark green scaled suit, snake tails curled around his legs as part of his design, the snakes darker than the rest of his suit, his eyes were slightly more slit, like an actual serpent's and a tail extended down his back and reached his lower legs.

He looked intimidating to say the least.

The blue in his eyes appeared darker, almost green. They reminded her a bit of Chat's, at least the fact that the whites of his eyes were yellow, whereas Chat's were green.

But they weren't Chat Noir's eyes, not at all. Her kitty's were warm and mischievous, adventurous but always honest, always laced with a certain affection she denied herself to feel when in the suit.

Luka's – _Ophio's_ – eyes were different, far different than Chat's, than Luka's original. They reminded her of a snake intent on harming, these eyes lacked the pure goodness Luka had.

It upset Marinette more than she would let on, "Luka…" Marinette took a calming breath, channelling her inner Ladybug, "Please, you have to fight Hawkmoth's control, you have to fight it until Chat Noir and Ladybug get here," she bit her lip, _'At least, until I get a chance to escape and transform,'_ she stared worriedly at the dock, which wasn't all that far away. She could swim, but she knew Luka would catch her before she reached the shore.

Luka shook his head, reaching for her hand on the table, "But Marinette, Hawkmoth doesn't seem to be as evil as we thought, he…" he paused, as if unsure whether to continue or not, "…he _helped_ me, he _understands_ me. I didn't want to fall under his control, but I was just so upset, not even music helped," he smiled wryly, bitterly, the look didn't suit him at all.

Marinette frowned, turning her hand to grab at his larger one, the scales beneath her fingertips feeling foreign, "But why? What happened?" she felt guilty, guilty for not noticing Luka's conflicting feelings sooner to stop him from being akumatized.

His grip on the tablecloth tightened beneath her hand and she felt the way his veins bulged, the serpentine eyes flashed eerily, "You were crying," he felt Marinette freeze, her hand stilling over his, "I saw you during break, I wanted to visit your class and go to lunch, but I saw you crying under the stairs, you…you were mumbling something about Adrien." His gaze was downcast, averted from her conflicted one, "Adrien's a good kid, but good or not, it was wrong of him to hurt you and not apologize," when Luka's eyes moved back to hers, she swore they were greener than before.

Marinette stood up, "No! You got it all wrong! It's not Adrien's fault at all!"

* * *

His figure stalked along the rooftops of Paris, the darkness of the night helping him blend in perfectly, safely out of eyesight from the akuma, giving him an opportunity for a surprise attack.

He watched their interaction with a frown, feeling the storm brewing in his heart grow when Marinette suddenly stood up from the chair.

She looked upset.

He noted Luka's straighter posture, the tense setting of his shoulders.

Chat Noir's ears drew back with a snarl, ' _No wonder cats and snakes never saw eye to eye, they're slimy,"_ he knew his comment seemed immature, but he couldn't help but think that when he saw the sleekness of Luka's akumatized suit.

Chat Noir extended his staff and quietly landed in-between two buildings, soundless bounding close to the long rows of metallic gates separating the water from the streets.

He was close enough to the ship to pick up on some of Marinette's words, " _Adrien….upset…feelings…blame….anyone,"_ his movements stuttered for a brief moment, shaking his head to focus back on the task at hand.

" _Whatever it is, I can find out later, right now I need to get Marinette out of there,"_ Chat Noir reached for his baton and tried calling Ladybug, but froze as if remembering something, before he clutched onto his weapon hard, " _I forgot, this cat's going hunting solo tonight,"_

Chat Noir could safely say that he didn't feel anger often, not as Adrien or Chat, but the hurt and conflicted look on Marinette's face _did_ make him angry, angry at himself for allowing her to be in this situation again.

Wordlessly, Chat Noir extended his staff and jumped.

* * *

Despite her perceptiveness and heightened senses as Ladybug, Marinette failed to realize the shadow that suddenly froze on the ship when she said, "Adrien didn't do anything wrong, I was just upset because….because of my own feelings, I can't force people to feel the same way I do about them, and I don't blame him for that! You can't blame anyone for the way they feel!"

It seemed like an eternity passed, everything seemed still on the ship, that's when Luka – _Ophio_ \- suddenly stood up, the scaly staff-like weapon in his hand, reminiscent of a snake's body, gripped firmly in his hands.

His whole body was tingling, as if sensing approaching danger.

Ophio's eyes thinned into slits and he turned, sharply pivoting on his foot as he blocked the strike from the metallic baton, the harsh blow sending vibrations travelling all the way from his hands to his head as he took a step back.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Ophio hissed, eyes focused on the unwelcome guest standing in front of Marinette, far too closely, too _comfortably._

Just then, a voice, distant but at the same time very present echoed in his head that was swarmed with darkness, _"Ophio, get me Chat Noir's Miraculous before Ladybug shows up! He's defenceless without her!"_ the butterfly mask appeared over Ophio's face and the boy hissed in pain the pounding in his head caused.

"Yes, Hawkmoth," yellow serpentine eyes focused on the figure of Chat Noir and Marinette.

" _No!"_ before he charged, Ophio stopped sharply, " _I don't want to hurt him! He's only protecting Marinette! I have to fight it! I can't let Hawkmoth control me like this! Chat Noir, get her out of here!"_ the words were never spoken aloud, only bouncing around in his head, Luka's voice trying to reach his subconsciousness through the dark fog that Hawkmoth created.

He was unable to listen to himself.

His body wouldn't listen to him.

He charged.

Chat Noir barely had time to guard, quickly stepping back to grab Marinette and jump up higher on the wooden beams holding the ship's sails, claws digging into the wood as he climbed it up, setting Marinette inside the crow's nest.

He attempted to jump back down before Ophio came up, but Marinette grabbed at his belt.

An image of his lady appeared in his mind, but when he looked back, Marinette stood there with a worried expression on her face, "Chat Noir, get me to shore, we can't beat the enemy in his own territory," the fact that Luka, Ophio, could use the water around the ship to his advantage terrified her. She knew cats weren't fond of water and despite them swimming twice already in their aqua forms, she didn't want to find out what would happen to Chat Noir if he fell into water like this.

But Chat Noir only sent her a reassuring smile and a two fingered salute, "Don't worry princess, this cat has it in the bag!" he grinned and for a moment, chills ran down her spine at how carefree he tried to be in front of her despite the situation.

Fighting an akuma alone without Ladybug, fighting an akuma in his very own territory without Ladybug there to help him. _Marinette_ being a liability, unable to help but a helpless target for Ophio, another burden for Chat Noir to protect.

He jumped down, his tail sliding from her grip and Marinette didn't want to think that more than just his belt slid from between her fingertips.

She had never viewed Chat Noir as her sidekick before, a nuisance at the beginning, yes, but she never thought of him any less than her equal. She _knew_ he could hold his own against akumas, but this wasn't just any akuma.

This akuma was of Volpina's calibre, even more fearsome, she suspected. She remembered herself having trouble dealing with Volpina's illusions until Chat Noir came to her aid.

Marinette gripped the edge of the crow's nest tightly, "Tikki," her kwami immediately flew out of her purse, looking equally terrified and worried, "We have to transform,"

Tikki's worry grew, "But Marinette-"

"I know this isn't the safest spot to transform, but Chat Noir needs me, he can't fight Ophio on his own,"

Her kwami frowned, "It's not that Marinette, you can't transform because Ophio kidnapped you before I could recharge," bluebell eyes flew open in realization and she hastily searched around in her bag for any more cookies.

She found none.

"Oh no! What do we do! I can't just let Chat Noir deal with an akuma alone!" she glanced at her trusted kwami, a plan formulating in her mind, "Tikki, you have to do something for me but we have to be quick,"

The ancient kwami of creation looked concerned, but listened attentively to her charge.

* * *

He met Ophio half way, staff meeting staff in a brutal clash of force, both trying to push over the other, "What do you want with Marinette, huh?" Chat Noir glared down at Ophio, whose slit eyes narrowed in annoyance up at him.

He swung his snake staff to the right and Chat Noir went along with the movement, using the momentum to somersault back and land on his feet, body set in a defensive position, "I could asssk you the same Chat Noir," Ophio hissed, eyes scanning his stature, looking for a weakness.

Chat Noir did the same, trying to formulate a plan, " _Without my lady, it will be difficult capturing the akuma, but until then I have to hold him off,"_ Chat Noir looked up at the crow's nest, " _I need to get her down and buy time,"_ he remembered Marinette's words to go to shore, he also knew the reason why, he would need to at least knock out Ophio for that.

Chat smirked, gripping his staff tighter, " _Ssssay_ do all snakes talk with a lisp or is that just the case with you?" he slowly circled him, Ophio following suit.

A smirk curled the snake's lips, "Who knew the hero had such a venomous tongue,"

The cat frowned, "Heh, mine's not as forked as yours though," he watched the movement of his feet carefully and smiled, "We're natural competitors, but let me show you how I'll _viper_ that smirk off your face!" Chat launched himself forward, using his baton the same way he used his practice sword at fencing, using the same moves.

Ophio tripped, Chat Noir feeling the slightest sense of triumph bubbling in his chest as he tried delivering a blow, but Ophio slithered away too easily from under his feet, tripping Chat Noir with his staff.

However, the feline hero was quick, rolling on the floorboards and jumping to his feet, "Looks like we're evenly matched, _hisser_ ," Ophio's eyes widened.

"Didn't you ever hear to never _hiss_ off a king cobra?" Ophio's eyes thinned into slits as he once again moved forward, staff in front of him.

Chat Noir spun his staff and did the same, running towards him, "That's _my_ line," the two boys changed tactics.

Ophio struck Chat's legs while Chat managed a blow to his middle, both of them groaning in pain and falling to the floor.

" _No! Ophio do not let yourself be beaten so lightly when Chat Noir is alone! Get me his Miraculous!"_ the poisonous words rang out in Ophio's head like a dark mist, clouding his senses briefly but sharpening the anger he had in his heart.

Chat Noir slowly stood up, rubbing at the dull ache in his legs, " _Damn, that staff is more durable than it looks,"_ he watched the way Ophio gripped his side, " _Sorry Luka, Ladybug will fix everything after,"_ he shook his head, slowly getting to his feet, " _Ophio isn't too bad with the staff, but he doesn't know fencing techniques as well as I do, I can get the advantage,"_ his eyes narrowed at his suit, looking for a ring or any other piece of jewellery, " _Where is the akumatized object? He has to carry it somewhere,"_

His eyes zeroed in on his earrings, but their color scheme remained, so they couldn't be it. He guessed it to be the staff, but it didn't seem like he drew power from it.

His gaze landed on the ring, but it also remained black and silver, not blending in with the rest of his outfit. Chat grew frustrated as he took on a fighting stance, " _Where is it? I can't see it anywhere! If only Ladybug was here…"_

Ophio also stood up, the annoyance in his eyes turning to hatred, the butterfly mask disappearing from his face, "You don't have to listen to Hawkmoth! Don't let him control you Luka, you're better than that! Whatever upset you can be solved, I'm sure of it!"

But Ophio shook his head, "Solved? As long as that boy is still as oblivious to Marinette's feelings and continues to hurt her like that, nothing can be solved,"

Chat paused, "…What?"

A boy? Oblivious to Marinette's feelings?

The words he heard from Marinette's speech resurfaced in his mind like building smoke.

" _Anyone…"_

 _"_ _Blame…"_

 _"_ _Feelings…"_

 _"_ _Upset…"_

 _"_ _Adrien."_

Chat Noir's eyes flew open in shock, "A…Adrien?"

Ophio nodded, the blue colored tips of hair appeared like real snakes for a moment, as if they were hissing at him angrily, "You're more perceptive than I thought, honestly, I'm alright with Marinette not returning my feelings, I would even rather want her to look at you than _him_ , just because you would pick up on her emotions and…seem to understand her better," his voice grew sad at the end, it sounded like Luka broke through the control and guilt tore at Adrien's heart.

" _I…did this? I caused Marinette pain? I never noticed she had…feelings for me. She was always stuttering and running away, until recently I thought she didn't even really like my company but…"_ he stared back up at Ophio, who looked like the fight left him, "Luka, I-"

"Marinette didn't deserve this you know," he hung his head, and for some reason, it unsettled Chat Noir to see someone look so heartbroken, "I know what I did was wrong and doesn't justify my actions, but I wanted to show Marinette that the person you like can appreciate and notice you. She deserves better,"

Chat Noir had to silently agree, she does.

He heard more than saw the staff, the whipping sound it made as it travelled through the air at high speed.

It was only thanks to his cat like reflexes that Chat Noir narrowly avoided a very painful collision with his head, slamming his own baton against it and sending Ophio's staff flying somewhere behind him.

Now weaponless, Chat moved in for the blow, but a sudden, unsettling cracking noise drew both of their attention.

The staff had shattered a large piece of wood from the overhanging beam, the one where Marinette was still in the crow's nest above.

Chat's blood ran cold when the beam started toppling over, his legs automatically moving, not even noticing Ophio's form moving beside him, both reaching out, hoping to still reach her in time.

 _"_ _Move!"_ Chat Noir's leap was strong, but the previous blow to his legs made his usual jumps a bit less powerful, a bit less _fast_ , speed was the only thing he needed now. _Speed!_ Chat Noir's eyes widened when the beam was coming closer and closer to the end of the ship, towards open water, " _Move….MOVE!"_

The beam crashed, disrupting the ship's balance and tilting the weight forward, Chat Noir and Ophio both stumbling to the floor from the impact.

Splashes were heard, too many splashes, and beneath the thin cloud of dust, Chat Noir's eyes zeroed in on Marinette's form falling into the water, " ** _NO!_** _"_

Thank you kindly for reading! :)


	3. A Choice

**A/N:** So...I discovered that I forgot to upload the final part to my FFnet and AO3 account and only published it on Tumblr. I got so confused after reading reviews to the previous chapter and I was like:"Huh? Cliffhanger? But I didn't write one in this final chapter!"...I APAWLOGIZE FELLOW MIRACULOUS FANS! I'm sorry T_T

 **ANSWERS TO REVIEWS:**

 **Sir Cottonball:** (serves final chapter on a silver platter) Of course, kind sir.

 **BDemon1995:** Thank you for the compliment! Hope you'll enjoy this one too.

 **MidnightWriter44678:** Heh, I never expected any slowness when it involves a battle between a cat and a snake ;)

 **Mysticminou:** Oh, um, thank you so much! (hides face) I've read some of your work too, so I feel flattered getting a compliment from a talented writer themselves! :3

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **A Choice**

Chat Noir had jumped over the fallen beam, body moving forward into the darkened river when a force suddenly grabbed him and shoved him aside back onto the ship.

He heard a vaguely familiar muttered, "Sorry, Chat Noir!" before shaking his head and looking up.

There stood Rena Rouge, flute in hand, protective stance in front of him facing Ophio, who looked distraught.

Chat Noir scrambled to get up until Rena stepped on his belt, preventing him from diving back toward the river, Chat's eyes were blown wide open and dilated in panic, "Rena Rouge, let me go, Marinette fell into the river, we-"

Rena's calm demeanour pulled further at his nerves, his whole body tingling with nervous energy, "Relax kitty, Marinette's safe and sound,"

Chat's eyes hardened and he quickly jumped to his feet and grabbed his baton when Rena handed it to him, "How do you know, _fox_?" his voice was dead serious and Rena's more serious face met his own seriousness.

"Because she's the one that called me," Rena's knowing look made Chat Noir oddly flustered and defensive and before he could try and defend Marinette's identity, Rena winked.

Chat hadn't even noticed Ophio approaching, until Rena pushed him back with a solid kick, with her shouting over her shoulder while spinning her flute towards him, "No time to daydream kitty, we got a snake to snatch!" she did a backflip to avoid Ophio's downward slash, lunging for him again.

Chat Noir shook himself, extending his staff and breaking it easily into the two halves, spinning both in his hands as he stalked toward Ophio with renewed intent. With a big grin, Chat jumped and spun once in the air, slamming his staff down to loudly connect with Ophio's, the harsh vibrations travelled from his staff all the way through his body and the akumatized boy fell to his knees.

Chat's eyes widened in realization, Rena seeming to come to the same conclusion, "Chat Noir!" she motioned towards Ophio's staff, thankfully out of Ophio's view as the boy still tried recovering from the impact from earlier. Moving forward, Chat dived for the staff, but Ophio recovered enough to grab his staff and strike at Chat Noir.

Dropping his weapon, Chat held the snake staff within his grasp, both boys trying to overpower each-other in a battle of strength and will, "What did Adrien do to you? To Marinette?" Chat's words caused Luka's eyes to widen in fury, the slit pupils appearing even more menacing.

He pushed Chat Noir away with a harsh shove, forcefully kicking Rena Rouge's back as she fell to the ground, "Rena!" Chat's cry got silenced when Ophio threateningly placed his staff, the snake head, near his neck.

The butterfly masked glowed brighter than ever over Ophio's face, it seemed Hawkmoth was getting impatient.

Chat struggled, trying to get the boy off himself, but his legs burned from the blow before and Ophio's own weight on them caused Chat Noir to hiss in pain.

Ophio moved the staff even closer, leaning down to grab at his hand, until a red blur struck the limb and forced Ophio to spring away from Chat Noir hastily.

"Hands off my kitten, _snake_!" Chat's eyes flew open in shock, body freezing momentarily on the floorboards of the ship, the voice echoing in his head like a song over and over again.

It was her.

And then, his vision was filled with the familiar red, black and blue. Her colours.

"Need a hand kitty?" Ladybug smiled down at him and Chat Noir grabbed her hand, pulling himself up and immediately enveloping her in a hug tightly.

His voice was just a mere whisper but he was close enough to her ear for her to hear it clearly, "You're…okay," his arms tightened their hold around her and Ladybug smiled, hugging him back.

She paused before she whispered back with a smile, "Of course I am kitty,"

They broke apart and Chat scanned her from head to toe, seeing no injuries, "But…the crow's nest…it toppled over…I saw you fall into the water," his eyes worriedly swept over the splintered beam.

Ladybug smiled reassuringly, squeezing his shoulder, "I called Rena Rouge for help, she created an illusion of…me still up in the crow's nest, so that Ophio wouldn't know I was gone." She turned around, seeing Rena and Ophio struggling against each-other, "No time to talk more Chat Noir, let's get Luka back!"

The name left a slightly sour taste in his mouth, but Chat Noir nodded nevertheless, following right after his lady.

Rena was overwhelmed from Luka's strength and agility, his movements even quicker than her own, slithering easily out of her range and avoiding attacks, "Luka! Can you hear me?! Try to not listen to Hawkmoth!" Rena held her flute in front of her defensively, "I know what it feels like when he's in your head, please try to escape," her eyes were filled with understanding, but the yellow-green tint in Luka's eyes was still there.

Then, a yoyo wrapped around his wrist, removing most of the weight and power behind the force of his staff and Rena pushed back finally.

Ophio staggered backwards from the force of Rena Rouge's push and Ladybug's mighty pull.

Ophio tried pivoting on one foot to release his wrist from the yoyo string, but Chat Noir swooped in to strike at his lower legs causing the older male to fall hard on his back.

Chat was immediately on him, pinning his wrists on either side of him, "Give it up Ophio, you're outnumbered." Chat saw the anger ignite in the boy, his struggles intensifying and Chat Noir used all his strength to hold him down, "Any time now m'lady!"

From the corner of his eyes, Ophio saw Ladybug walking towards him, then he heard Hawkmoth's voice again in his head, a dark, sinuous trap, " _Your powers Ophio, use them!"_

Feeling the power he called upon rise, Ophio closed his eyes in concentration, sensing the vibrations of Rena Rouge recovering from her crouching position after pushing him away, Ladybug walking towards him, now only a few feet apart, the sound of Chat Noir's erratic heartbeat as the boy held him down.

Ophio opened his eyes and they flashed bright yellow briefly, " _Snake Eyes!"_ Chat Noir reflexively shut his eyes closed, suddenly sailing through the air from the force of Luka pushing him off.

Chat Noir, eyes to the floor, quickly moved to his feet, stopping his partner before she could charge at Ophio, "Ladybug, wait!" he didn't dare raise his eyes further than Ophio's feet, "Don't look him in the eyes!" he saw Rena Rouge quickly avert her gaze, "I don't know what is it, but since he's a snake themed akuma, I think he can either daze or control you if you look him in the eyes,"

Ladybug took a defensive stance next to her partner, swinging her yoyo in a circle, "Good thinking Chat Noir, still, there has to be a way we can defeat him," Ladybug quickly called upon her own power, Chat Noir watching her for a split second.

A second the snake took advantage of, "Eyes on me _kitty_!" Ophio taunted, Chat Noir grunting at the staff hitting his midsection.

"Chat Noir!" Rena and Ladybug immediately shouted in concern, Rena Rouge springing forward to aid the superhero, trying to snatch away Ophio's staff while not looking him in the eyes.

"Tough luck, fox!" Ophio spun and kicked her away roughly, her flute falling from her grasp and Chat Noir immediately lunged at him again, too focused on the fight to see what Lucky Charm had produced.

It was staff against staff, Ophio's actions growing more wild and uncoordinated, charging straight at the hero. Chat Noir parried, instincts honed from fencing lessons and akuma fights kicking in naturally all the while noticing a detail in Ophio's attacks.

They were weak.

Not that they weren't powerful, but in a moment where the staff grazed his flank, the blow didn't hurt as much as the previous ones did. Chat Noir's gaze shot to Luka's sword arm, the arm holding the staff.

It was trembling violently, " _He's still fighting it, Hawkmoth's control."_ Chat resisted the urge to look him in the eyes, watching how his steps grew more and more rigid and shaky, " _He doesn't want this. He doesn't want to hurt anybody,"_ Chat sidestepped, narrowly avoiding a collision with the staff, calling over his shoulder quickly, "Any time you're ready m'lady!"

"Chat Noir, fetch!" thinking quickly, Chat dodged the next attack, turning around in time to catch a small rectangular box in his hand.

Was that an amplifier?

"What-"

"Brace yourselves!" Ladybug warned right before she launched her attack.

Chat Noir had held out the tool in Ophio's direction, thinking it would blast off loud music, but instead, heavy vibrations travelled through the air, causing Chat's whole body to shake.

It was uncomfortable and he felt slightly numb and disorientated, but when he saw what effects it had on Ophio, he smiled.

The boy was kneeling on the ground, covering his head with his arms and shaking from the vibrations and Adrien remembered a lesson in biology where they learned about natural predators.

 _Snakes don't have ears, they perceive their surroundings through their tongue by tasting scent particles and pick up on vibrations through the ground._

 _Of course!_

He could see Ladybug point towards Ophio's fallen form, "Chat Noir, the akuma is in the guitar pick around his neck!"

Moving quickly, Chat Noir quickly grabbed and ripped the leather cord from around Luka's neck, crushing the small guitar pick in two with his fingers and the familiar black butterfly flew out of it.

" _No more evildoing for you little akuma! Miraculous Ladybug!"_ he could hear his lady's words,

The soothing power washed over him and their surroundings, cleansing and repairing everything that was damaged.

Except one thing.

Chat Noir turned around to look at Luka Couffaine, still kneeling on the ground, helplessly, sadly.

Chat's ears drooped in sympathy, after all, it wasn't Luka's fault for wanting to protect Marinette.

"Sorry guys, gotta run! Time's almost up!" he heard Rena Rouge call out distantly before sprinting to the edge of the repaired ship.

Ladybug ran too, "Me too!" she glanced at the boys a final time before helping Rena cross the river to detransform.

Chat Noir approached Luka slowly, kneeling down next to him, "Hey…are you alright?" he knew it was a stupid question, but he had to ask.

Luka shook his head, sighing heavily, heavy regret shining in his blue eyes, "I'm so sorry Chat Noir, for everything. I didn't mean to fight you or Ladybug, I also never meant to-" something changed in his whole demeanor, a wave of panic caused his pupils to dilate, " _Marinette!_ "

Chat quickly grabbed his arm before the older boy could scramble towards the river, "She's safe!" Luka froze at the hero's words, gazing back at him in worry, "Marinette's safe."

"How do you know?" the crease in his forehead and the deep frown on his face spoke volumes of how much he regretted his actions. Actions that had hurt Marinette.

"Luka! Chat Noir!"

Both boys turned their heads, spotting a breathless Marinette running towards them, "Marinette!" Luka immediately walked over to her, checking her over for injuries, "But…but how?" he looked up at the restored crow's nest, "You were up there! I saw Chat Noir carry you up and the beam fell down and I saw you fall into the water!" Marinette's hands settled on his shoulders, his eyes looking lost and panicked.

" _Luka,"_ finally, the older boy looked down at her, "I'm fine, I promise. I managed to climb down while you were fighting Chat Noir," she smiled up at him, "I don't blame you for what happened, it's not your fault, it's Hawkmoth's for tricking you." She grew shy, smiling warmly and looking down at their feet, "And…thank you for comforting me, you're a good friend Luka." Marinette hugged the taller boy tightly, burying her face into his shoulder. Luka returned her hug, holding her close in fear of letting her go.

When Marinette turned her head and opened her eyes, Chat Noir was gone.

* * *

His heart was still beating fast when he settled on her balcony, looking at the plants and flowers as he tried to calm down from the battle.

 _Marinette was safe._

It was all he kept telling himself in his head, all he tried to think of, but thoughts started coming back, questions.

 _Why did Adrean do to you? To Marinette?_

 _It's not his fault that he can't accept my feelings!_

Chat Noir's fist shook on his knee and he shut his eyes closed.

"There you are kitty," he abruptly stood up at the familiar voice and came face to face with Marinette, a red creature, no, a _kwami_ , beside her.

He stared at the red kwami, he had had his suspicions for a while, but seeing the actual evidence still overwhelmed him, especially after the emotional battle.

The creature smiled and bowed, "Thank you for saving Marinette, you're a good Chat Noir," Adrien didn't know what to say except smile slightly and watch the kwami fly into Marinette's bedroom, no doubt giving them much needed privacy.

Why couldn't Plagg be so considerate…

Marinette cleared her throat, stepping towards him hesitantly, "Chat Noir…I…" she fidgeted, playing with her fingers before finally looking at him, "Thank you for saving me today kitty."

He felt his heart constrict painfully and he swallowed, "Marinette…"

She found herself in his arms, how, she didn't know.

Not that she minded.

Closing her eyes, Marinette hugged him back tightly, clutching at him like a lifeline, "I'm sorry kitty, I couldn't help you sooner in the fight."

He snorted softly, rubbing her back soothingly, "Silly bug, I'm the one that's supposed to apawlogize for not saving you sooner."

Marinette continued, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my plan, it wouldn't have worked had you hadn't tried to save me too."

Chat's whispered words made her freeze in shock, "I would have saved you regardless, my lady."

"Chat-"

He broke away, looking down at her seriously, "Listen, whatever Adrien did to you, I'm sure he didn't mean it. He's a model, right? You mentioned he didn't go to school until this year, right? Maybe he just doesn't really know how to interact with people, you know? Or he doesn't understand girls? Whatever the case, give him a chance, try to talk honestly with him Marinette, I'm sure he won't hurt you again."

" _I'm sure of it."_ He silently vowed to himself.

Marinette stared up at the boy in wonder, as if seeing him for the first time, before she smiled and nodded, "I will…thanks for your help Chat Noir, I was really in a tight spot…even though I knew Luka wouldn't hurt me, I didn't know to what lengths Hawkmoth would go to get your Miraculous, so I expected the worst." She scratched her neck, shrugging.

Chat frowned, taking her hands in his.

She looked at him expectantly and he gathered his fragile courage, "If you ever need someone to talk to, about anything, you know how to reach me." He gazed meaningfully down at her, willing her to understand his offer.

Marinette smiled, shaking her head softly, squeezing his hands, "Yes, chaton, I know…thank you." She hugged him again.

Chat Noir hugged her back tightly, "Always, princess."

* * *

A soft tune was the only melody the gentle waves of the river allowed to be heard, the melody of a broken heart trying to piece itself back together.

Luka sat in one of the chairs on deck, his eyes gazing up at the sky but his thoughts elsewhere as his fingers gently glided along the strings of his guitar.

He replayed the scene in his head, right before Marinette left.

The last thoughts that had entered his mind then.

 _"_ _She was his before she could ever be mine."_

With the song in his heart and the strings as his voice, Luka played a slower, sadder tune.

 **Thanks for reading! I may write more Akumatized!Luka fics.**


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